Suction cleaner



Oct. 1.5, 1940.

w. F. HUDSON 2,218,169-

sucTIoN CLEANER 4 V Filed lax-cn 2o, 193'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Milfs Halma Oct. 15, F HUDSQN SUCTION CLEANER Filed llch 20, 1937 ATTO RN EY Patented Oct. 15, 1940 sUc'rroN CLEANER wiuis Fenton Hudson, Riverside, nl., assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application March 20, 1937, Serial N0. 132,008

9 Claims;

'Ihis invention relates to improvements in suction cleaners and more particularly to an improved mounting ,for the dust bag or receptacle including a closure valve in the inlet to the dirt bag and which may b e closed preparatory to removing said bag for emptying. The object of the invention is to provide a valved closure at the inlet end of the dirt bag adapted to prevent the escape of dust from one l0 end of the bag during the process of emptying y the dirt through the opposite end.

And a further object of the invention is to provide a separate valved fitting intermediate the outlet from the cleaner and thev bag mouth and adaptedto have detachable connection with A both, so that it can. either be removed with the bag or left on the cleaner depending on the end through which the bag is to be emptied.

Referring to the drawings, two embodiments 20. of the invention have been illustrated and the y following is a brief description of the several gures:4

Figure 1 is a general view in side elevation of the suction cleaner with the exhaust outlet, Vthe valve connecting member and' a portion at the inlet end of the bag shown in cross section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view in vertical crosssection through the bag connection astaken on line 2-2 ofFigure 1. Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed view of the dust bag connection with the bag and its connecting ring separated from the valved fitting and the latter detached from outlet connection of the cleaner. Y Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the rear end portion of a suction cleaner showing a modiied arrangement of the bag attaching device and closure valve incorporated therein with the bag ring and parts associated therewith in section.

' 40 Figure 5 is a fragmentary detailed view in sec- A tion as taken on line 5 5 o1' Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view in vertical cross-section as taken on line' 6 6 of Figure 4 and Figure 7 is a view corresponding to Figure 4 showing the bag and its'bag .ring detached from the body of the cleaner.

Referring briefly to the suction cleaner shown in Figure 1, the same comprises a wheeled cas- Y ing I provided with a nozzle portion 2 extending transversely of its forward end, said nozzle portion having a downwardly facing nozzle opening or mouth through which the dirt laden air is drawn by suction from the carpet or other floor covering under the force of suction created by a fan 3 rotating within a fan chamber located .outlet from the cleaner casing and the mouth of the bag 6 consists of a at plate-like member 1a. having riveted'to one face thereof a somel5 what thicker frame section 'Ib forming a rectangular opening registering with a corresponding opening in the main portion of the fitting. This opening in the frame 'Ib is dimensioned to t an external seat 5a formed at the outer end 'of the 20v exhaust outlet connection 5- of the cleaner casing: I, and in order to make this connection fairly secure but yet permit the entire fitting to be detachedfrom the cleaner casing, a pair of springpressed balls 8, 8 are located within cavities 25 formed in the downwardly and upwardly facing edges of the opening in the frame 'Ib'and adapted to engage rounded seats 5b, 5b formed in the corresponding faces of the shouldered end of the outlet .5. 30

Carried by the member 1 is a vertically slidable valve or gate member 9 consisting of a sheet metal plate of la rectangular shape slightly larger in size than the opening through its supporting member and having along its top edge a finger 35 piece or handle- 9a for sliding it upwardly land downwardly in vertical guideways I0' formed by grooving the`inner edge faces of the frame section 1b, it being noted that said frame is slotted vertically vat II immediately above the opening 40 therethrough and in line with the finger piece Vlla in orderlto permit the latter to slide the valve member to and from closed position. Incidentally, a vertical slot'9b is formed in the valve member immediately below the'iinger piece 9a, this 45 n y n slot being adapted to engage a roundedl projection or head I2 located centrally of the upper edge of the plate la and acting as a stop member to limit the upward movement of the valve.

standard type of dirtibag connection wherein the 55 Extending 5 'I'hus with the valve fitting l'I mounted on the 50.

exhaust outlet from the cleaner has the form of a relatively large anged connection against which the bag ring I3, forming the mouth of the bag, has detachable sealing connection;

Much -the same arrangement has been preserved in the present disclosure, except that the ilanged portion oi the outlet connection has been converted into a separate detachable valved member adapted to seat upon the end vof the exhaust outlet and carrying a pair oi clamping bolts Il, Il for supporting the bag ring I3 by means of its laterally disposed bolt engaging ears I3a, I3a.

Now, assuming that the cleaner is being operated with the dirt bag attached tol the intermediate valve member 1 and the latter ttedon to the shouldered outlet 5, the dirt-laden air stream will enter the dirt bag in the usual manner and in Itime the bag will becomelled to such an extent to require cleaning. This operation of cleaning the bag involves first; its `removal from the cleaner, which is accomplished by detaching its upper end from the handle and disconnecting its lower end from the exhaust outlet connection. If the dirt bag ispermanently closed at its upper end, the

. only outlet for the dirt is through the lower or bottom end opening and hence it would perhaps be more convenientto simply loosen the clamps I 4, I 4 and remove the bag without disturbing the valve member I or even closing the sliding -valve member 9 preparatory to removing the bag,

`detaching the bag at the bag ring Il by releasing the clamping bolt I3, I3, this connection would be kept intact and the `operator would rst slide the gate valve! intol closed position and then remove the intermediate valve member 1 from the end of the outlet connection as a part of the bag. The bag would now be open at one end only during the cleaning operation, and the operator.

thus protected against the ascending clouds of dust which otherwise would escape through the open bagmouth.

Figures d to 'l inclusive, illustrate a modified adaptation of the closure gate or valve at the inlet or mouth to the dirt bag, wherein the valve membcris incorporated'fin the bag'ring and the vlatter having direct connection with the shoulderedoutletof 'the cleaner casing. vMoreover, the valve member is spring-actuated and serves position on the cleaner.

The outlet connection Il at the rear end o! the cleaner casing is the same as before, having a slight outward flare and a relatively wide shoulder IIa to provides. support for the dirt bag and'ringV assembly. However, in the top surface of the shoulder IIa is a narrowlocking groove or as the latch member for holding the bag ring in notch lib extending transversely adjacent the outer edge thereof.

.The bag ring It carrying the same cloth bag 3,

is of the same general shape and dimensions as the ring in the preceding disclosure, although distinctly of an oval or elliptical shape. Moresponding opening in the previously described arrangement. Supported by the bag ring is the spring-actuated valve or gate member I1 already 1 mentioned, the same consisting of a ,flat metal vplate conforming generally to the shape and size of the opening through the bag ring Ii and supported in guide grooves I3, I3 formed between the.

inner face of the web lia andal thin metal retaining plate.l9 riveted thereto. The top edges of the valve plate II taper upwardly and converge in a nger piece Ha bent outwardly at right angles and riding in a vertical slot 2l formed in the web lia, immediately above the opening therethrough.

Located on either side of the gate valve and above the opening is a pair of ytransverse pins 2l upon winch are coiled torsion springs 22, 22 having relatively long spring ngers 22a extending inwardly toward each other with their ends bearing downwardly on a pair of lugs 23, 23 stamped out of the valve plate I1 near its upper edge as clearly shown i-n Figure 6. These spring ngers 22a obviously exert a downward pressure upon the valve plate and normally act to hold the valve inits closed position. Moreover, these torsionsprings 22 and their supporting pins 2l are enclosed within chambers Isa, I9a formed by spacing the upper portions of the retaining -plate I9 outwardly as shown in Figure '7.

Referring to the manipulation of the latter type of valved bag attaching means, the bag ring I6 normally seats on the shouldered end of the outlet connection l5 as clearly shown in Figure 4, with the gate valve I1 not only raised in its open position, but with its lower edge engaging the locking groove lib. Thus with the tension of the springs 22 acting on the valve plate this connection between the gate member I1 and the lock ing groove lib securely holds the bag ring in place and the cleaner is operated in the usual way. e

Now, assuming that it is desired to remove the bag for emptying, it is only necessary toliit up slightly on the finger -piece Ifla, thus lreleasing the latching connection betweenthe lower edge of the plate and the locking groove lib and allowing the bag ring to be slippedoil of the re-l taining shoulder and, having released thennger piece Ila, the valve plate II is shifted automatically into closed position over the opening, thus "`complely mth of bag. If the bag has an opening at the opposite end then it can be emptied without opening the valve opening at the mouth of the bag. But if it should be necessary or desired to empty'the bag itsl inlet end, then it is possible to hold the valve member I1 in open position for this purpose, although this is not a very convenient method of emptying the bag', because of the somewhat retricted opening. In any case, to replace the bag .after it has been emptied, it is only n the shoulder lia, and upon releasing the plate it automatically reengages the locking groove [It and holds the bag assembly in place until it is necessarytoagainemptythebag, lnavingset.

forth a preferred embodiment of my invention in two possible and practical arrangements:

1. A closure device for the inlet end of a dirt bag of a suction cleaner, comprising a substantially at frame supporting one end of said bag and having a anged aperture forming the .inlet to said bag and adapted to be removably mounted upon a seat formed at the end of the exhaust outlet from said cleaner, and a Valve member mounted on said frame and adapted to be shifted endwise to close said aperture therein and thereby to permit the removal of said bag completely closed.

2. A closure device for the inlet end of a dirt bag of a suction cleaner, comprising a substantially nat frame supporting the open end of said bag and having a flanged aperture forming the inlet to said bag and a seat for the detachable mounting of said frame on the end of theexhaust outlet from said cleaner, and a valve member mounted in said frame and adapted to be shifted endwise to close said aperture in the process of removing said bag from said cleaner.

3. A closure device for the inlet end of a dirt bag of a suction cleaner, comprising a substantially flat frame to which the open end of said bag is attached and having a flanged aperture substantially smaller than the open end of said bag and forming the inlet thereto, said inlet aperture being adapted to be mounted at the end of the exhaust outlet of said cleaner, and a valve member having the form of a sliding plate mounted in said frame and positioned to close said aperture in its sliding movement and thereby permit the removal of saidbag from said cleaner with its inlet end completely closed.

4. A closure device for the inlet end of a dirt bag of asuction cleaner, comprising a substantially flat frame to which the open end of said Y bag has detachable r clamping connection and having an aperture substantially smaller than the open end of said bag forming the inlet thereto and'having a flanged portion surrounding the same adapted to be detachably tted onto a shouldered seat at the end of the exhaust -outlet of said cleaner, and a'valve member having the form of a plate mounted on said frame to slideV endwise over said aperture thereby to permit the removal of said -bag from said cleaner with its inlet end completely closed.

5. A closure device for the inlet end of a dirt bag for a suction cleaner, comprising a frame adapted to be detachably mounted at the exhaust outletl of said cleaner, said frame having a port therethrough and a valve member comprisinga slidable plate shiftable to and from p'ort closing position, a handle on said plate formoving the same in one direction, and tension means for shifting said plate in the other direction.

6. A closure device for the inlet end of a dirt bag for a suction cleaner, comprising a frame adapted to be mounted at the exhaust outlet of the cleaner and having detachable connection with the adjacent end of said bag, said frame having a port therethrough and a valve member consisting of a slidable plate adapted to open and close said port, tension means acting on said plate to shift the same into closed position, and means for holding said valve member in open position while said frame is mounted onsaid ex- `v haust outlet.

.means acting on said plate to shift the same in closed position, said valve being normally held in open position by contact with said outlet portion.

8. A closure device for the inlet end of a dirt bag of a suction cleaner, comprising a frame adapted to seat on the outlet connection of said cleaner and having a port therethrough, a valve member operative to open and close said port and adapted when open to have marginal latching engagement with a notch formed in the surface of said outlet connection, and tension means acting on said valve to shift the same automatically into port closing position upon the detachment of said frame from said outlet connection.

9. A closure device for the dirt bag of a suction cleaner having a tubular outlet connection, comprising a frame having a portion adapted to have detachable mounting on said outlet connection anda portion supporting the inlet end of said bag with a connecting port therebetween, and a valve member consisting of a slidable plate operative to open and close said port and adapted 

